Cricket: NZ outclassed by England

England's Eoin Morgan hits a boundary during their first Twenty20 cricket match against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland. REUTERS/Simon Watts

England took first honours in their T20 series against New Zealand with a 40-run win at Eden Park tonight.

New Zealand, needing to make their biggest T20 total, 215, to win, reached 170 for nine in their 20 overs.

They battled to stay with the required run rate from early in the chase. England's bowlers were more demanding than New Zealand's had been, to back up a strong display by their batsmen in reaching 214 for seven.

England, who equalled the highest T20 international score made in New Zealand, peppered the crowd with 15 sixes, the third highest in T20 internationals, taking full advantage of Eden Park's joke boundaries at each end, where it is little more than a 60m blow to clear the rope.

Their tally was only exceeded by South Africa's 17 against England at Centurion four years ago and Australia's 16 against India in Barbados during the 2010 T20 World Cup.

Opener Alex Hales got things going with a booming blow to deep mid wicket in the second over from left armer Trent Boult, and Luke Wright, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler kept the heat on the New Zealand bowlers.

The hosts didn't help their cause with five dropped catches, two by returning former test captain Ross Taylor.

Wright plundered 42 off 20 balls. Four of the sixes were his.

With opener Michael Lumb, Wright shared a 60-run stand in only 26 balls.

Morgan and Bairstow - three and two sixes respectively - put on a rapid 81 off 43 balls for the fourth wicket before Buttler, the early-tour batting star after two flying half centuries against the New Zealand XI in Whangarei this week, belted 32 not out off 16 balls.